The point guard position in the NBA has changed drastically in the 2000s.
In the past, point guards in the National Basketball Association were the smart players who took care of the ball and their teammates, while running the system in place for their team.
That role has changed drastically, however. Point guards today come in all shapes, sizes and styles. In fact, there are very few “true” point guards left in the NBA today.
For starters, many point guards’ athleticism nowadays is incredible. Guys such as Russell Westbrook and John Wall obliterate old notions of the point guard that existed while Mark Jackson and John Stockton were playing.
Point guards weren’t exactly the first guys you would think could put someone on a poster from dunking before the new wave of guys came into the league and started doing it.
Because of the new-wave athlete point guards, the mindset of a lot of the point guards in the NBA is now different than what used to be expected.
Point guards who go off for 40 or 50 points used to be a big deal, now it seems to happen every few weeks. From Kyrie Irving to Stephen Curry to Damian Lillard, the list of point guards with big time scoring ability is long.
In many cases, the point guard is the primary scorer on the team.
Chris Paul is one of the few remaining prototypes of the true point guard. Even when he takes over games, he takes them over by playing the position.
Don’t get me wrong, Paul still scores, but he always makes sure his Los Angeles Clippers teammates are involved. Even if they aren’t scoring, he gets them touches to make they sure they’re involved in the game.
The same could be said about Grizzlies’ guard Mike Conley. He’s easily the best perimeter scorer on Memphis, but his mindset is to make sure his teammates are focused and getting touches first.
Rajon Rondo also does this, but if he had a jumper I’m not so sure he’d be as generous with the basketball.
I’m not even sure the term “point guard” fits the bill for enough players anymore to be relevant.
It’s more like the “who do you want taking the ball up the court down six points with three minutes to go” position.
And it’s not even always the designated point guard who fits that description. For the Cavs, it’s LeBron James, for the Rockets, it’s James Harden.
The days of the pass-first, run-the-offense-type of point guard, are not completely over, but they’re numbered.
Jimmy Watkins is a freshman studying journalism and a sportswriter for The Post. Let him know how you think point guards have changed over the years on Twitter @JAjimbojr or by email jw331813@ohio.edu.
